Sunday, June 23, 2013

The island of Samos

Samos is an island of the eastern Aegean Sea, very close to the coasts of Asia Minor. It’s a quite a big island composed of four municipalities: Vathi, Karlovassi, Pythagorion and Marathokamos. Samos is mainly mountainous with a pleasant and healthy climate. Some of the historical famous personalities who have Samos as origin are the ancient mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras of Samos, the astronomer Aristarchus, the architect Mandroklis and the also philosopher Melissos. Samos is connected directly by air, from Athens and Thessaloniki. Also, during the summer months charter flights from entire Europe approach the island. There is also frequent transportation by sea, from Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Kavala and Kalymnos. On the island, there is frequently available transport by bus. Samos is one of the most beautiful places of the Greek seas and below there is some interesting and useful information about it.
Vathy, the capital of the island of Samos
Vathy is the capital and the biggest port of Samos in the Vathy’s Gulf on the north-eastern part of the island. It’s a picturesque town which is built amphitheatrically on a hillside with beautiful neoclassical buildings. It’s a modern city that you can find every kind of services and products may you look for. Here you can enjoy the sunbathing on easily accessible beaches like Gangos, Livadaki, Kalami, Agia Paraskevi, Kerveli, and Psili Ammos. In the middle of August, the Wine Festival takes place which offers excellent quality of wine for free and food. It lasts for 5 days and hosts concerts, dramas, traditional dances and many more activities.
Samos Wine Museum
The museum was founded in 2005 and you wil have the chance to learn about the history of the Samian wine, the production process and the tools which are used to make of this really tasty and sweet wine of Samos. There are a lot of exhibits which show the traditional art of winemaking like old wooden barrels, pots, winemaking equipment, unique style bottles, prizes and old photographs.
Archaeological Museum of Samos
This museum is located in the centre of Vathy and has two parts: the old museum (knows as Paschalion Archives) and was built in 1912 and the second part is the new museum that contains an Archaic sculpture collection. Its most important exhibit is the Colossal Kouros with its beautiful ionic style and a marble statue of a draped female figure from 560BC.

Karlovassi
Karlovassi is a town of Samos in the western part of the island. The modern town started to develop in 1950 and today is a municipality which includes many surrounding villages. Karlovassi is a quite big commercial and financial centre of the island and its residents work usually as vineyard and olive tree growers or deal with tourism. In Karlovassi is also based the School for Mathematics, part of the University of Aegean. The town has a plenty of very good quality facilities for accommodation which can satisfy all the kinds of clients. The food has an excellent quality and a wide variety of tastes in every restaurant or tavern. There are also interesting and full of young people, bars and cafes that feature modern Greek or international music. On the 20th of June and on the 6th and 15th of August  traditional festivals take place with live music, local food and wine.
Museum of History and Folklore in Karlovassi
The museum was founded in 1994 and its collections cover a period from the late 19th century until 1955. The exhibits show the agricultural and the urban way of life on the island through these years. You can see some porcelain, old sculptured mirrors, traditional, finest clothes and many old tools.

Chora
Chora is an old picturesque village 13km away from Vathy and until 1854 was the capital of the island of Samos. In this area is located also the airport.In Chora there are approximately 1.500 residents who are mainly farmers. It is ideal if you want to spend your holidays in a calm place and to enjoy some really tasty food and ouzo in the local taverns and the old style cafes.

Beaches of Samos
Kokkari: it’s a 500m long beach, with deep and clean waters and is on the road between Karlovassi and the centre of Samos. There are plenty of accommodation facilities, taverns and beach bars with cheap refreshments. The beach is organized and is ideal for sunbathing and windsurfing.
Lemonakia: it’s a beach ideal for families with children as the waters are shallow and clean. There is no sand but pebbles and it is a well-organized beach as well.
Kampos: Beach, great for windsurfing as it’s an area unprotected from the northern winds and offers big waves.
Other beautiful beaches are Mykali, Posidonio, Heraion, Ballos, Limnionas and many more. All these are very close to tourist facilities and eating houses so it’s easy to relax and rest during your holidays without unnecessary travelling.

Samos Young Artists Festival
Every year during August, talented young people from every point of the world are invited to take part in the concerts of the Samos Young Artists Festival. This ambitious festival has as a target the better understanding between people from many different countries using the international language of music. The concerts take place in the ancient theatre of Pythagorion which is built on the hillsides of the Kastri Mountain. The theatre has a great view to the beautiful port of Pythagorion and can host approximately 1.000 people.
Wetlands of the island of Samos
Samos is on the passage of the emigrating birds. The birds come from northern countries to live in the wetlands of Samos during the winter as the island has a great amount of sunshine throughout the year. All the wetlands are in the eastern part of Samos and some of them are Alyki, Messokampos and the lakes f Pythagorion and Chora. 127 rare bird species have been recorded, as well as mammals and other wildlife.
Local products
Samos has a lot, good and famous products as the most popular of them, the wine of Samos. The Samian wine is one of the best presenters of the Greek wine in the European and international market. It has a remarkable reputation as an excellent product among other high quality wines like the French. Another great Samian product is the unique honey. In Samos there are over 200 beekeepers and they produce more than 100 tons of honey every year. It is aromatic honey from bees which go around mountain tea, pines, lemon, apple and peach trees and they also produce a very healthy royal jelly which is used for pharmaceutical or cosmetic purposes. Some other products are the ouzo, good quality milk products, olive oil, fresh fruits and the traditional folklore jars.
Why visit the island of Samos
Because Samos is a very beautiful and picturesque island of the Aegean Sea, different from the common style of the other islands. It has a unique beauty and style and some gorgeous beaches. The crystal blue waters with white sand or pebbles, the tasty local food, the delicious wine and the friendly people will charm you. The island of Samos is a great place to share some unforgettable moments, to meet new people and to know more about this beautiful country, Greece!
 http://www.greeceholidaydestinations.com/island-samos.html

Thursday, June 20, 2013

4 Killer Workouts for While You're on Holiday or Vacation

Here are four workouts you can do, despite having only a hotel gym or no equipment at all. They're a little different, but you might surprise yourself.

The following is a guest post from Jonathan Precel of JPTrainingSystems:

My wife loves to travel. She spent six months working as a nanny in France. She has visited nearly every continent and speaks English, French, and German. If she had her way, our feet would never be on the ground.

travel workouts, working out while traveling, holiday workouts, vacation workoutOn the other hand, before I met my wife I had been overseas exactly once. When I was five, my family visited America for two years because of my dad’s work. Despite hanging on to the American accent nineteen years later, I never caught the travel bug. However, since being with my wife I’ve been to Thailand, Singapore, Morocco, Germany, France (where she banned me from speaking the language due to my awful pronunciation of words), Spain, the Philippines, and Kuala Lumpur - and all within a three-year period.

Needless to say, for a gym junkie like myself the thought of being away from my tubs of protein and barbells loaded with plates was, and still is, an almost paralyzing thought. The first trip we took, to Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines, my training continued but was fragmented and directionless. When we visited Europe on our honeymoon last year, I was unable to find a gym so I resorted to bodyweight exercises. But this year everything is different - I have a plan, a direction, and a purpose for my training.

In my time overseas I’ve come to realize one key truth - you will not get stronger. Unless your partner is a gym rat as well, and you are happy with spending your time in another country scouring the streets for somewhere that will allow you to tear some serious weight, it’s likely your hotel gym or room won’t have the necessary poundage to allow you to smash personal bests. Therefore, there are four things that you can do:

  1. Take the time off and deload. If you are like most lifters, myself included, you wait for life to tell you to deload and you could probably do with a week or two off. Regardless of what people tell you, you won’t become catabolic and shrink to the size of a pre-pubescent boy (or girl). In fact, you’ll probably come back stronger and more determined post-holiday.
  2. Start moving your body. Bodyweight workouts are great, yet vastly underrated. Whether you use Tabata-, volume-, or density-based workouts, most people underestimate the level of shredded that they can reach with their bodyweight alone.
  3. You know that mobility work you’ve been telling yourself you’d do for the past year? Well, guess what? You don’t need any fancy gym equipment to open up your thoracic spine or fix your hips. Now’s the best time to do it.
  4. Lower the weights and up the volume. Bodybuilding style training and using time under tension will allow you to use the 25lb weights in the hotel gym to stimulate some growth. Don’t believe me? Use 50-60% of your 8RM dumbbell bench press, employing a 2-3-2-1 tempo (implying a two second eccentric, a three second isometric hold, a two second concentric and a one second pause at the top position.) And your lower body? You may not be able to deadlift or squat as heavy as you’d like, so switch to single leg variations for added torment fun.
  
travel workouts, working out while traveling, holiday workouts, vacation workoutDesigning a Workout

So you’ve decided to still exercise to help stave off the vacation excess that always seems to creep onto your thighs and arse (if you’re a female) or your gut (if you’re a guy). Below are four effective, and time efficient, ways to make sure your jeans don’t become skinny jeans upon your return to real life:

1. Density Circuit

Select four compound exercises (that either target all the same muscle or a plethora of different ones), a rep scheme, and a time limit. Density circuits work great when you only have bodyweight to work with. Aim to have the most metabolically challenging and technical exercise as the first in the circuit. 

For example:
  • Bodyweight Squats x 25
  • Push Ups x 20
  • Single Leg Hip Thrusts x 15 (per leg)
  • Pike Pushups x 10

Repeat for 10 minutes, resting as necessary.

2. Super Sets

If you’ve stepped into the gym, you’ve used these before. Pair two exercises together, rest minimally between sets and repeat.

For example:
A1) DB Bench Press
A2) Pull Ups

B1) Incline Bench Press
B2) Seated Row

3. Giant Sets

On my last trip to Singapore and Thailand I fell in love with giant sets, which are essentially super setting two or more exercises of the same muscle group. However, my version was slightly different. Considering I was pressed for time, yet still wanted to cram in more volume than a grandmother does food, I worked with descending sets.

For example:

A1) DB Bench Press - 4 x 10
A2) DB Incline Press - 3 x 10
A3) Cable Press - 2 x 15
A4) Push Ups - 1 x 20

Rest 30 seconds between exercises and repeat until all prescribed sets have been completed. What I found is that I was able to get a nifty little metabolic training effect whilst also getting that ever-precious pump.

4. Tabata Rounds

I’ve heard rumours that Tabata is used in some political prisons to torture inmates. Select an exercise, preferably a bodyweight one, and perform 20 seconds of ball-busting, hyped up on three scoops of illegal DMAA fueled pre-workout, adrenalin surging reps. Rest for ten seconds and then repeat for 8 total rounds (4 minutes of total time).

travel workouts, working out while traveling, holiday workouts, vacation workoutExercise is not something that is confined to four walls, grunting men, or even deafening thunderous thuds as plate-filled barbells smack against the floor and life, being what it is, has a nasty habit of throwing curveballs at you. Nobody wants to be that person who turns to his or her friend or loved one and says, “Sorry, I can’t visit X with you because I’ve got a leg day scheduled and, well, I can’t miss that - not even for an all expense paid trip to (insert dream destination here).” What truly defines someone who loves fitness, exercise, and by extension themselves, is the ability to adapt to different surrounds and circumstances and still get in the necessary work to grow and progress as a person.

Too many people take holidays knowing they will get fat, become overweight, and lose a level of their fitness, yet they do nothing to combat it. I’m here now, standing on my soapbox, telling you that whether you have a gym or not, there is always something you can do to stay active.

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock

A Great Time At a Jeep Safari!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a great time!







Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Advice for hiking in the wilderness - The Mercury

Advice for hiking in the wilderness
The Mercury
Solo hikers need to learn how to use a map and compass, then practice with them. You may travel for miles between seeing any symbols.

See who¿s in this season¿s must-see concerts coming to LA - Los Angeles Times

See who¿s in this season¿s must-see concerts coming to LA
Los Angeles Times
Travel Guides. Looking to get away? Browse our destination and topics pages to read about vacation ideas, view photos and videos and get advice from our experts.

Mexico: Tourism picture is brightening for Mazatlan - Los Angeles Times

Mexico: Tourism picture is brightening for Mazatlan Los Angeles Times Several upcoming improvements may increase Mazatlan's popularity as a tourist destination, including a new highway scheduled to open this fall that will provide a high-speed land...

Best Backpack for Hiking -High Sierra Hiking Swerve Backpack

High Sierra have been an important name in sports and travel bags for over two decades. They provide students, athletes and those who enjoy hiking with ingenious designs that will help you get your baggage from A to B as conveniently and easily as possible. One such bag that has received various favorable reviews is the High Sierra Swerve Backpack. The High Sierra Swerve Backpack is available in a range of incredible colors. In reality you have over 20 wonderful designs to select from. This backpack is made with Waffle Weave, 100D Duraliter and Duraliter Ripstop material. If you have tons of gear that you have to conveniently carry for long periods of time then the High Sierra Swerve Backpack should do well. It has an extremely high rating from clients, 4.5 out of 5 stars, and some truly neat attributes that make this backpack comfortable and practical. Take a quick look at this backpack and you'll see that it has a variety of zips for a variety of different sized compartments, in addition to a side mesh pockets for your water bottles or drinks. For starters, the bag includes a padded laptop computer sleeve. This sleeve is big enough to hold a computer of up to 15.5" in length. It also features a coordinator compartment, a media compartment for your mobile phone or pda and an mp3 player pocket. There are numerous other attributes of this backpack that make it perfect for those carrying a heavy tons. It includes a tuck-away waist belt for additional support when your bag is filled to the brim. A suspension strap will help ease the stress on your back when carrying heavy items. The shoulder straps are S-shaped and enable the air to flow freely keeping you cool. The shoulder straps also included a thumb ring adjuster and are made with vapel mesh. What clients like most about the High Swerve Sierra Backpack is how comfortable the shoulder straps are even when carrying heavy items. The variety of pockets and compartments is also a wonderful plus and makes organizing your things extremely easy. The High Sierra Swerve Backpack has a carrying capability of 1914.25 cubic inches and is a stylish and practical method to carry your laptop computer, books and other items. High Sierra have been an important name in sports and travel bags for over two decades. One such bag that has received various favorable reviews is the High Sierra Swerve Backpack. The High Sierra Swerve Backpack comes in a range of incredible colors.

Eco-tourism is a ‘Green Revolution’

Antother Eco Kid essay for Chaa Creek's Eco Kid Summer Camp, this time from Alyssa Coleman.

"I want to be an Eco kid because as kids I think we can make a big difference just by the little things we do everyday.  In our country Belize we need to educate the people more about healthy, clean and Eco friendlier ways of living in order to have a beautiful Belize.  We as proud Belizeans should stand up and let people know the proper ways to dispose garbage and other waste.  We need to reuse, like reuse plastic bottles or old tires to plant different plants in.  Reduce, reducing the amount of electricity you use or water, instead of using an automobile walk or ride a bike."

Top 10 islands - Vogue.it

Islands mean holiday. From the Pontine Islands to the Aeolians to Greece: bays and intact nature in the Mediterranean sea. And as distant shores? Kangaroo Island and Lofoten.

WEDDING TRAVEL IN KYTHIRA - Athena Luxury Hotel Kythira - Mylopotamos

your best man and your friends for #holidays and experience #Kythira #weddings http://t.co/kw2spOP2J0 http://t.co/Zet37u2n0a

Become a Volunteer at a Sea Turtle Protection Center in Athens, Greece - Babble

Babble
Become a Volunteer at a Sea Turtle Protection Center in Athens, Greece
Babble
A volunteer vacation is a nice added twist to any getaway even if it's only for a day.

Perissa in the 10 most legendary beaches of the planet

It might not be the most beautiful and the most special, but the following are the most famous beaches in the world.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

He Said, She Said: Tips for Traveling Couples


My longtime beau, Andy, and I will be celebrating our ten-year anniversary next week.
We spent our first anniversary in Paris. Since then, we’ve taken a pickup truck across Texas, a train across Europe, and a plane to the Middle East. Travel has been the backdrop of our decade together.
Having visited 15 countries and almost two thirds of the States, we joke that we could win The Amazing Race, the reality show where pairs compete to be the first around the world.
At home in New York our schedules overlap far less than we’d like, with both of our jobs taking us to far-flung places at times. And while we’re happy to explore the world solo, each trip we take on our own reminds us of how much better it is to travel together. It’s not perfect, of course. Because travel forces you out of your comfort zone, it can bring unexpected challenges as well as unexpected joy. But I have to say that having my “pack mule” along — this wonderful man who won’t let me carry my own luggage — is my favorite way to travel.
Here’s what we’ve learned from a decade of travel together, from both sides:

Find Your Niche

Andy: Annie is the master of knowing all the possibilities for each location and how to squeeze the most into every day. When we first started traveling together, I would “tag along” more than help plan. But now, I have things I like to plan, like hunting down local beers that can’t be found anywhere else.
Annie: Restaurant reservations are my favorite thing to book, especially if it’s a big city like L.A., London, or Paris. But I also love figuring out tours, museums, events, guides, hotels, and pretty much everything else. And sometimes I do give Andy an “assignment” or two…

Challenge Yourselves

Andy: Within the first year of us being together, we realized we both prefer experiences to “things.”
Annie: No matter what, it is so important to leave your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be overseas or a long trip away. But do day trips, or find a great B&B nearby to stay at for a night. Memories that are based on experience last longer than any gift.

Go Back to Places You Love

Andy: When you find a place that you love, don’t worry about wanting to go back instead of exploring somewhere new. The air of familiarity about a place makes it feel like home on the road and sometimes that is exactly what you need, comfortable but different.
Annie: I love when we visit familiar haunts like L.A., Long Island, and my home state of Arizona. The more exotic places we go, the more I appreciate places we know inside out — where neither of us cares about checking things off a list.

Enjoy the Ride

Annie: I can’t say that I love when something unexpected happens. But because of the nature of travel, we have to roll with Plan B, Plan C, and sometimes Plan D. I call Andy a content traveler. Nothing seems to faze him, from weather to delays. Our personalities complement each other.

Find Time to Be an Individual

Andy: At least once or twice each trip, we’ll head out on our own. Sometimes it is golf for me or an early workout for Annie, or I head out to find coffee while Annie sleeps in. Whatever the break is, there is something to be said for having the chance to have a little bit of space so that the break doesn’t come when you both realize you really need it.
Annie: I admit I need alone time more than Andy. But we both need it, and make sure we get it.

Remember That You’re a Team

Andy: The best advice I can give to couples who are traveling together is to remember that you’re on the same team. No matter what happens in the wild world of travel — whether she loses her luggage or he gets ripped off on currency conversion — it’s you two versus the world. When it’s all said and done, that rude waiter and crazy taxi driver are staying where you found them. Your partner is coming home with you.
Don’t Talk About Work
Annie: We are trying this on a short trip next week. Four days of no talking about work. I’ll let you know how it goes!
How do you find travel bliss when you’re traveling as a couple? Leave a comment to share your thoughts with the Intelligent Travel community.
Posted by Annie Fitzsimmons in Urban Insider on June 14, 2013

Around The World : How to Be a Good Tourist

Around The World : How to Be a Good Tourist: As novelist James Michener once said, "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might a...

How to Be a Good Tourist

As novelist James Michener once said, "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might as well stay home." Being a successful traveler means jumping into a culture with both feet, not to mention heart and mind. But it also means banishing "ugly American" stereotypes. You'll be a better ambassador to the world, says Peggy Post, director of the Emily Post Institute, when you "keep respect front and center" when you travel — whether you're dealing with a taxi driver, your hosts or anyone in between. Here are other ways to ensure your harmonious place in the world as a successful tourist.
Couple eating food at a market in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Eating local fare is key to understanding a place's culture and traditions. — Getty Images
Dress to Blend In, Not to Stand OutDressing inappropriately in any foreign country ensures that you stand out — and not in a good way. In general, Americans dress more casually than people from other cultures. "Even in Europe, people don't walk around in shorts like Americans do," says Post. Consider local customs as well: Modest dress, of course, is a hot-button issue in places like the Middle East.
Do Your HomeworkThe point of travel, for many, is to learn about the world. If you visit another culture, study the basics before you go. It could be something as simple as learning the correct pronunciation of places or streets, or converting the currency in advance.
Mind Your MannersIgnore that moldy "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" conceit. "Traveling doesn't mean your values change when you leave home," says Post. "The world is a lot smaller these days, and your behavior can come back to you in an unpleasant way. Be the ethical you at home and on the road." And don't keep comparing everything to how it is back home.
When in Rome, Eat Like a RomanEating local fare is key to understanding a place's culture and traditions. This doesn't mean you have to dive headfirst into the most exotic dishes or sample something that turns your stomach — it just means trying out that local noodle shop or kebab stand instead of a generic hotel restaurant or international fast-food chain.
Try to Speak the LanguageIt's not essential to speak fluently, but most locals appreciate visitors who make an effort to speak the simple common phrases that communicate essentials.
Talk to the LocalsYou will learn more about a new part of the world, and enrich your travel experience, by simply engaging the locals in conversation. "Ask questions," says Post. "People love to talk about their lives." Inquire about day-to-day issues — what's familiar to a local can be thrillingly novel to you. Get the lowdown on favorite restaurants and shops. Talking (and, more important, listening) is your ticket to the genuine heart of a place.